Terps beat up on S.C. State

Maryland improves to 8-1 on season

Published 8:53 PM EST Dec 08, 2012

COLLEGE PARK -

Alex Len had 13 points to lead a balanced scoring attack by Maryland in a 61-46 breather over South Carolina State on Saturday.

Maryland (8-1) won its eighth straight game since a season-opening loss to defending national champion Kentucky. The last time the Terrapins won eight games in a row was the 2006-2007 season, when they opened with eight straight wins.

Though Len was the only Maryland player scoring in double figures, plenty of his teammates contributed in their second straight win over a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team. It was also the second straight game that all 14 Terrapins played, with 10 scoring.

The Terrapins had 16 assists on 19 baskets Saturday for a total of 154 assists on 225 baskets during their eight-game winning streak. They also were 18 of 22 from the free throw line and outrebounded the Bulldogs 39-30.

Len, who was 5 for 8 from the floor, also had six rebounds. Maryland outscored South Carolina State 28-6 in the paint and 17-0 on second-chance points.

Louie Adams led South Carolina State (4-5) with 15 points, scoring 12 in the second half. Khalif Toombs added 12 points, all on 3-point baskets.

Maryland shot 37.3 percent for the game (19 of 51). The Bulldogs shot 32.1 percent (17 of 53), but made just 3 of their first 20 shots and went more than eight minutes in the first half without a basket, falling behind 21-8.

South Carolina State trailed just 11-7 with 13:38 to play in the first half before hitting a cold stretch during which the Bulldogs were outscored 10-1.

Toombs hit back-to-back 3-pointers to close the margin to 21-14 and force Maryland into a timeout. Following the timeout, the Terrapins ran off a 10-0 stretch with Logan Aronhalt and Seth Allen starting the run with 3-pointers for a 27-14 lead.

Maryland scored twice again before the Bulldogs snapped their four-minute scoreless streak with a basket and two free throws over the final minute of the half to close to 31-18 at halftime.